{{Quote|Ride 700 miles that way, you're still in the North. 400 miles that way. 300 miles that way. The North is larger than the other six kingdoms combined. And I am the Warden of the North. The North is <u>mine</u>.|Roose to Ramsay Bolton|The Mountain and the Viper}}

[[Image:Distant Winterfell.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Travelers in the North, with the castle of Winterfell in the distance.]]

[[Image:Distant Winterfell.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Travelers in the North, with the castle of Winterfell in the distance.]]

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[[Image:North.PNG|thumb|right|200px|Map showing the location of the Northon the continentofWesteros.]]

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[[Image:North.PNG|thumb|right|200px|Map of the continent of Westeros, marking the locationof the Northinred.]]

'''The North''' is one of the constituent regions of the [[Seven Kingdoms]], and was formerly a sovereign nation known as the [[Kingdom of the North]] before the [[Targaryen]] conquest.

'''The North''' is one of the constituent regions of the [[Seven Kingdoms]], and was formerly a sovereign nation known as the [[Kingdom of the North]] before the [[Targaryen]] conquest.

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The North is ruled from the castle of the [[Dreadfort]] by [[House Bolton]]. It is the largest of the nine major regions of the continent, almost equal in size to the other eight combined. <!--I have commented this out because it has been challenged and a source asked for: "However, due to its harsh climate it has one of the smallest populations of any major region in the Seven Kingdoms, and is the most sparsely populated." It should not be restored to the article without adding a source. [[User:Opark 77]]-->

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The North is ruled from the castle of [[Winterfell]] by [[House Bolton]] following the fall of [[House Stark]] during the [[War of the Five Kings]]. It is the largest of the nine major regions of the continent, almost equal in size to the other eight combined. <!--I have commented this out because it has been challenged and a source asked for: "However, due to its harsh climate it has one of the smallest populations of any major region in the Seven Kingdoms, and is the most sparsely populated." It should not be restored to the article without adding a source. [[User:Opark 77]]-->

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According to legend, the [[Kingdom of the North]] was established eight thousand years ago by [[Brandon Stark (the Builder)|Bran the Builder]], the founder of House Stark, who constructed [[the Wall]] as a shield against the possible return of the [[White Walkers]]. The North is the only region where the [[First Men]] were able to resist the [[Andal Invasion]], six thousand years before the [[War of the Five Kings]]. As a result the North is the only region of Westeros in which the ethnic makeup is predominantly First Men, and the only region where the culture, customs, and traditions of the First Men still predominate. Among these is the belief that the man who passes the sentence of death must swing the sword himself. In particular, the religion of the First Men, the worship of the [[Old Gods of the Forest]], is still the dominant faith in the North. The [[Faith of the Seven]] introduced into southern Westeros by the [[Andals]] has found little foothold in the North. As a result, warriors from the North are not "knights", because "[[knighthood]]" is a code of values associated with the Faith of the Seven. However, mounted warriors are still an honored and esteemed military asset in the North, so that while northmen like [[Eddard Stark|Ned Stark]] may not carry the title "Ser", Northern cavalry are functionally equivalent to mounted knights.

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According to legend, the [[Kingdom of the North]] was established eight thousand years ago by [[Brandon Stark (the Builder)|Bran the Builder]], the founder of House Stark, who constructed [[the Wall]] as a shield against the possible return of the [[White Walkers]]. The North is the only region where the [[First Men]] were able to resist the [[Andal Invasion]], six thousand years before the [[War of the Five Kings]]. As a result the North is the only region of Westeros in which the [[Northerner|ethnic]] makeup is predominantly First Men, and the only region where the culture, customs, and traditions of the First Men still predominate. Among these is the belief that the man who passes the sentence of death must swing the sword himself. In particular, the religion of the First Men, the worship of the [[Old Gods of the Forest]], is still the dominant faith in the North. The [[Faith of the Seven]] introduced into southern Westeros by the [[Andals]] has found little foothold in the North. As a result, warriors from the North are not "knights", because "[[knighthood]]" is a code of values associated with the Faith of the Seven. However, mounted warriors are still an honored and esteemed military asset in the North, so that while northmen like [[Eddard Stark|Ned Stark]] may not carry the title "Ser", Northern cavalry are functionally equivalent to mounted knights.

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[[Bastard]]s born in the North are given the surname '''Snow'''. People of the North are known as '''Northmen''' or '''Northerners''', and, derogatorily as '''wolves''', in reference to the sigil of House Stark.<ref>For example, Ned Stark says he is a "Northman" in "[[Winter is Coming]]", and Joffrey Baratheon calls them "Northerners" in "[[Lord Snow]]".</ref>

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[[Bastard]]s born in the North are given the surname '''Snow'''. People of the North are known as '''[[Northmen]]''' (or Northerners), and, derogatorily as '''wolves''', in reference to the sigil of House Stark.

==Geography==

==Geography==

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===Castles===

===Castles===

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* [[Winterfell]], the seat of [[House Stark]], the formerrulinghouseoftheNorth.

In the ''[[A Song of Ice and Fire]]'' novels, the North is an area vast in size but relatively light in population. The North, due to its location, is particularly badly affected during the long winters, with thousands of people killed and famine not an uncommon occurrence due to the inability to raise crops for years on end, outside of special greenhouses and castles built on or near hot springs, like Winterfell, or volcanic vents, like the Dreadfort of House Bolton.

In the ''[[A Song of Ice and Fire]]'' novels, the North is an area vast in size but relatively light in population. The North, due to its location, is particularly badly affected during the long winters, with thousands of people killed and famine not an uncommon occurrence due to the inability to raise crops for years on end, outside of special greenhouses and castles built on or near hot springs, like Winterfell, or volcanic vents, like the Dreadfort of House Bolton.

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The people of the North, popularly called "northmen" or "notherners", are known as a hardy, tough breed who hold the comforts of the warm, "soft" south in disdain. They worship the old gods of the forest, and the "new gods" of the Andals have made little headway in the North. With a few exceptions, the warriors of the North refuse to take holy orders and thus cannot become knights.

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The people of the North, popularly called "northmen" or "notherners", are known as a hardy, tough breed who hold the comforts of the warm, "soft" south in disdain. They worship the old gods of the forest, and the "new gods" of the Andals have made little headway in the North. With a few exceptions, the warriors of the North refuse to take holy orders and thus cannot become [[knights]].

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Some of the northmen live in remote, distant areas where they act little more as clans and tribes of savage warriors. Even these remote folk are vassals of the Starks, however, and are allowed to maintain their own ways and traditions as long as they remain loyal to Winterfell.

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Some of the northmen live in remote, distant areas where they act little more as clans and tribes of savage warriors. Even these remote folk are vassals of the Starks, however, and are allowed to maintain their own ways and traditions as long as they remain loyal to Winterfell - which most of them usually do, as the Starks have a history of being just and honorable rulers. The Starks treated the mountain clans with respect by referring to them as if they were small-scale noble Houses, i.e. calling them "House Wull" and "House Norrey", instead of dismissively thinking of them as lowly "clans".

==See also==

==See also==

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* [http://awoiaf.westeros.org/index.php/The_North The North at A Wiki of Ice and Fire.]

"Ride 700 miles that way, you're still in the North. 400 miles that way. 300 miles that way. The North is larger than the other six kingdoms combined. And I am the Warden of the North. The North is mine."

According to legend, the Kingdom of the North was established eight thousand years ago by Bran the Builder, the founder of House Stark, who constructed the Wall as a shield against the possible return of the White Walkers. The North is the only region where the First Men were able to resist the Andal Invasion, six thousand years before the War of the Five Kings. As a result the North is the only region of Westeros in which the ethnic makeup is predominantly First Men, and the only region where the culture, customs, and traditions of the First Men still predominate. Among these is the belief that the man who passes the sentence of death must swing the sword himself. In particular, the religion of the First Men, the worship of the Old Gods of the Forest, is still the dominant faith in the North. The Faith of the Seven introduced into southern Westeros by the Andals has found little foothold in the North. As a result, warriors from the North are not "knights", because "knighthood" is a code of values associated with the Faith of the Seven. However, mounted warriors are still an honored and esteemed military asset in the North, so that while northmen like Ned Stark may not carry the title "Ser", Northern cavalry are functionally equivalent to mounted knights.

Bastards born in the North are given the surname Snow. People of the North are known as Northmen (or Northerners), and, derogatorily as wolves, in reference to the sigil of House Stark.

Contents

The borders of the North are held to be the sea to the west and east, the Wall to the north and the hills and bogs of the Neck to the south. Greywater Watch and its ruling house, House Reed, are the southern-most noble family owing fealty to Winterfell.

The climate of the North, though harsh overall, varies from cool (maritime) temperate around the Neck, to cold temperate around Winterfell, and to subarctic at the Wall. The lands south of Winterfell leading to the Neck are almost as fertile as the Riverlands to the south, and are the most agriculturally productive region of the North. The Neck itself is filled with swamps. Snowfall generally increases as one moves north along the Kingsroad.

In the A Song of Ice and Fire novels, the North is an area vast in size but relatively light in population. The North, due to its location, is particularly badly affected during the long winters, with thousands of people killed and famine not an uncommon occurrence due to the inability to raise crops for years on end, outside of special greenhouses and castles built on or near hot springs, like Winterfell, or volcanic vents, like the Dreadfort of House Bolton.

The people of the North, popularly called "northmen" or "notherners", are known as a hardy, tough breed who hold the comforts of the warm, "soft" south in disdain. They worship the old gods of the forest, and the "new gods" of the Andals have made little headway in the North. With a few exceptions, the warriors of the North refuse to take holy orders and thus cannot become knights.

Some of the northmen live in remote, distant areas where they act little more as clans and tribes of savage warriors. Even these remote folk are vassals of the Starks, however, and are allowed to maintain their own ways and traditions as long as they remain loyal to Winterfell - which most of them usually do, as the Starks have a history of being just and honorable rulers. The Starks treated the mountain clans with respect by referring to them as if they were small-scale noble Houses, i.e. calling them "House Wull" and "House Norrey", instead of dismissively thinking of them as lowly "clans".